The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-10-27

| ordcSu oy STATISTICS Wnlcn must convince
even the most skeptical
England is the only country on earth
that has, so far as we are aware, succeeded
IN Keeping out the cholera without abso,
lutte non intercourse.
The writer just quoted, says: "But what
Is our alternative system? Having delib.
erately abandoned quarantine, we began
years ago, to organize the system of med.
zeal inspection, with isolation, The med.
zeal inspection comes first into operation
on our coast. The custom officers board
the vessels coming into our ports. and they
communicate to sanitary authority the oc-
currence of any case of cholera. choleraic
dlarrhoa, or suspected cholera. A vessel
so affected is detained until the medical
officer of health has examined every mem
Der of the crew and passengers. Those
actually sick of cholera, or choleraic
dlarrhoea, are at once removed to the port
sanitary hospital, and any person certi-
ned to be suffering from any illness which
tnat officer suspects may prove to be chol-
era, Is detained for true observation, not
exceeding two days. The medical
inspection is thus followed by
isolation of the sick. Unlike
quarantine system, this process does
not interfere with the healthy, cor expose
them to risk by herding them together
with the sick" Quotation ours. Here is
the point, the danger, the mistake if our
men are making it. Ed. But, the names
of the healthy, and the place of their des-
tlnatlon is taken, and the medical officers
of health of the district in question are
Informed of the impending arrivals. This
part of our system has been named the
first line of defense; but it would be of
little value five stopped there. Our main
trust II IN the promotion of such local
sanitary administration in every part of
the country as shall rid us of the condi-
tlons under which alone cholera can
spread. In periods of emergency, as DUR
ing the past three years, a special medical
survey of such districts as seem most ex-
posed to risk is organized under the
supervision of medical officer of the
local government board, and where need
ed the sanitary authorities are urged TO
action. Important as have been the re-
suits of the recent survey, they would go
for little, we're it not for the steadily
maintained work of sanitary authorities
and their officers throughout the king
dom; and we who have been tainted
abroad for opposing quarantine, because
It's restrictions touched our commercial
interests and our pockets, may
justly feel proud that in England andWales
alone the people have, during the past ten
years, of their own accord, and apart
from government dictation, spent. by way
of loan, or in current expenditure, over
eighty millions sterling for purposes
mainly of sanitary character"
The writer claims that that kingdom
still takes the lead as a progressive
power in matters of public health" and
says: the cost incurred has been i'm
mense, but it has not been in vain,nor I'M
remunerative." He then goes on to show
that the cholera death rate in Great
Britain, which was, in 1910, 80 per 10000
inhabitants, has been reduced to II in
1854, and to 7 in 1856. "Since then"
DR.. Thorne says, eve have labored hard to
prevent the disease from securing a foot
ing amongst us; and though our labors
are far from complete, and the disease
has, ION several occasions, been imported.
yet it has each time been at once
checked Quotations ours. Ed
We do not see how the sanitarians of
this government, in knowledge of the
facts above set forth, can hesitate to at
once set in operation the plan, the only
plan, which has been repeatedly demon
strated to be efficient in the limitation of
cholera, if it be not already in operation
and to enforce the most rigid santa
ton. 1t is absurd to say that the medical
officer in charge, DR.. Smith, who
is an advanced thinker, and recog-
nized as a sanitsrian of high or
der OF ability, is 'dolt," as il so freely
and so ignorantly charged by the sensa-
ton newspaper scribes. We believe that
he has keen appreciation both of the
dangers and the fearful responsibility
resting on his head, and that whatever
may be charged to the contrary, in ignor-
ance of the facts, he is leaving nothing
undone which is calculated to suppress
the disease. We 90 not know what he is
doing, but, from his character land well
known ability and integrity, we assume
that he is as competent to the task, and
as honestly earnest in his efforts, and is
putting them forth with at least as much
intelligence as the average newspaper
man, who is so ready to abuse him, would
be capable of doing. But should it prove
that such is not the case; that DR.. Smith
is blindly or willfully shutting his eyes
to the lessons taught by the failure of
quarantine in other countries, and the |
success of the British plan, and an cpl
demic should be the result, the response
bility should be severely visited upon his
head.
1t will not do to trust to quarantine |
alone; for it is demonstrably true that |
luarantining countries are essentially |
those which cholera invades.
If further proof were needed, that we'll |
persons will not scatter the disease, If
proper precautions are taken, we would |
cite the outbreak of cholera at Niagara
City in rs, reported by the late DR.. Frank
q. Hamilton in New York Medical
Journal A body Of German emigrants
Just landed, camped on the banks of the
stream. That night one of the party |
lied, and the village being in an uusani-
AIRY condition, an epidemic lighted up |
which nearly depopulated the place; but
The well persons of TIE party took the
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